1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a still picture reproduction system that allows skip retrieval, and more particularly, to a still picture reproduction system for displaying each still picture in a plurality of series of such pictures recorded on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Background Art
In art galleries and museums, presentation of artistic works and the like is carried out using a high definition television (HDTV). In this presentation, a still picture reproduction system is used for sequentially displaying a still picture of artistic works according to a predetermined program.
A typical still picture reproduction system includes a microcomputer for controlling the order and time period for displaying a still picture, a magneto-optical disk reproduction apparatus, and an HDTV.
According to a conventional still picture reproduction system, a still picture to be displayed is designated by a predetermined order by a microcomputer, whereby the designated still picture is reproduced from a magneto-optical disk by a magneto-optical disk reproduction apparatus. The reproduced still picture is displayed by the HDTV for a predetermined time period.
Such a presentation is carried out by switching the still pictures automatically or manually. For example, still pictures having mutual relation are switched automatically, such as in the case where still pictures of a plurality of works painted by a certain painter are presented. In contrast, a still picture on the screen of the monitor is switched manually according to the explanation of the presenter, such as in the case where the presentation changes from the last still picture of a series of still pictures of the works of a certain artist to the first still picture of a series of still pictures of the works of another artist.
It is often necessary to display a particular still picture again after the presentation when all the still pictures forming a plurality of series have been sequentially displayed, or when the presenter wants to display a certain still picture during the presentation to respond to a question from the audience.
In such a case, the already-displayed still pictures had to be displayed one by one again in the opposite order until the desired still picture appears on the screen in a conventional still picture reproduction system, similar to the case of presentation using a slide projector. Therefore, retrieval of a particular still picture was time consuming.
The assignee of the present application has disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2-309882 a system for displaying a still picture at a timing determined according to position information from an audio reproduction apparatus, and in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 3-46073 a system that reduces in size a lengthwise still picture for displaying the entire picture thereof. However, there is no disclosure of a technique for selectively displaying again a particular still picture from a plurality of still pictures already displayed.